The present invention relates to an instrument panel and a deployment door that covers an opening in the instrument panel and opens during inflation of an inflatable vehicle occupant protection device.
An occupant of a vehicle may be in various positions when an air bag inflates. During inflation of the air bag, a deployment door, which covers an opening in the instrument panel through which the air bag inflates, is forced open by the inflating air bag. Typically, when the deployment door is opened by the inflating air bag, one or more panels of the deployment door swing rearwardly into a passenger compartment of the vehicle.
It is desirable for the deployment door to be designed with relation to the instrument panel so that when the deployment door is opened, the panels of the deployment door do not contact the occupant of the vehicle. If contact is unavoidable due to the position of the occupant, such contact should preferably be in a location other than under the chin of the occupant.
The present invention is an apparatus comprising an instrument panel for a vehicle, an inflatable vehicle occupant protection device, and a deployment door. A portion of the instrument panel includes a rearwardmost point of the instrument panel. The deployment door has a closed position in which it covers a deployment opening in the instrument panel through which the inflatable vehicle occupant protection device inflates. The deployment door includes a panel that moves to an open position on inflation of the inflatable vehicle occupant protection device. The panel has a first end and a second end. The first end of the panel is connected with the portion of the instrument panel having the rearwardmost point. The second end of the panel moves rearward and toward the portion of the instrument panel having the rearwardmost point when the deployment door moves from the closed position to an open position. The first end of the panel is spaced from a farthest point on the second end of the panel by a first distance. The rearwardmost point of the instrument panel is located in an imaginary vertical plane that is spaced horizontally from the first end of the panel of the deployment door by a second distance that is greater than the first distance.
In another aspect of the present invention, a deployment door includes a panel that moves to an open position on inflation of the inflatable vehicle occupant protection device. The panel has a first end and a second end. The first end of the panel is connected with a first portion of the instrument panel. The second end of the panel moves toward the first portion of the instrument panel when the deployment door moves from the closed position to the open position. The first end of the panel is spaced from a farthest point on the second end of the panel by a first distance. The first end of the panel of the deployment door is spaced apart from a chin of an occupant by a second distance, which is greater than the first distance, when the occupant is positioned in accordance with one of sections 22.4.2 and 24.4.2 of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard 208, as codified in 49 C.F.R. xc2xa7 571.208 (2000), with the occupant""s chest on the instrument panel. As a result, the occupant will not be contacted by the panel of the deployment door during movement of the deployment door from the closed position to an open position.
In yet another aspect of the present invention, a deployment door includes an upper panel, a lower panel, and a tear seam. The tear seam connects the upper panel to the lower panel when the deployment door is in the closed position. The tear seam ruptures and the upper and lower panels move to an open position on inflation of an inflatable vehicle occupant protection device. The tear seam is located above a chin of a seated occupant and a rearwardmost point of a lower portion of the instrument panel is located below the chin of the seated occupant when the occupant is positioned in accordance with one of sections 22.4.3 and 24.4.3 of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard 208, as codified in 49 C.F.R. xc2xa7 571.208 (2000), with the occupant""s head on the instrument panel. As a result, the inflatable vehicle occupant protection device will not contact the occupant under the chin during inflation of the inflatable vehicle occupant protection device.
According to another aspect of the present invention, an apparatus comprises an instrument panel for a vehicle. The instrument panel includes an upper portion, a lower portion, and an intermediate portion that interconnects the upper and lower portions. The intermediate portion of the instrument panel extends in a vertical direction over a first distance measured along a vertical axis of the vehicle and extends in a horizontal direction over a second distance measured along a longitudinal axis of the vehicle. The longitudinal axis of the vehicle is parallel to a direction of travel of the vehicle. The first distance is equal to or greater than the second distance. One of the upper and lower portions of the instrument panel includes a rearwardmost point of the instrument panel. A deployment opening extends through the intermediate portion of the instrument panel. The deployment opening has upper and lower edges defining upper and lower boundaries of the intermediate portion of the instrument panel. The apparatus also comprises an inflatable vehicle occupant protection device that is actuatable to inflate through the deployment opening and a deployment door having a closed position in which the deployment door covers the deployment opening. The deployment door includes a deployment door panel that moves to an open position on inflation of the inflatable vehicle occupant protection device. The deployment door panel has a first end and a second end. The first end of the deployment door panel is connected with the portion of the instrument panel having the rearwardmost point. The second end of the deployment door panel moves rearward and toward the portion of the instrument panel having the rearwardmost point when the deployment door moves from the closed position to the open position. The first end of the deployment door panel is spaced from the second end of the deployment door panel by a third distance. The rearwardmost point of the instrument panel is spaced horizontally away from the first end of the deployment door panel by a fourth distance measured along the longitudinal axis of the vehicle that is greater than the third distance.